7 Premier League Stars That Newcastle Allowed To Slip Away

4. Louis Saha

Few were aware of Saha's existence when boyhood hero Ruud Gullit signed the 21-year-old striker on loan from Metz in January 1999. By the time he departed Tyneside there was scarcely anyone lauding Gullit's decision not to make the move a permanent one in the summer. Saha appeared 12 times for Newcastle and scored just twice, including that breathtaking winner against Blackburn in the FA Cup when he expertly chested Didi Hamann's inch perfect long ball into his path and rifled the ball into the net without breaking stride, but was deemed inferior by Gullit and returned to France. Our loss would consequently be someone else's gain as Fulham found out to their delight in 2000. 63 goals for the Cottagers in three-and-a-half seasons earned Saha a move to Manchester United where he won three Premier League titles and the Champions League before departing Old Trafford in 2008.